cold november days
by daughter-of-october
Summary: [Characters: Sherry Blendy, Lyon Vastia] # Summary: And her coat is too thin.


**cold november days**

**Characters**: Sherry Blendy, Lyon Vastia

**Summary**: And her coat is too thin.

**AN**: I will always ship them. Also, this takes place before the Galuna Island Arc.

* * *

The grass beneath their feet was moist and her boots had grown darker and darker from the dew that had left them wet and her feet cold. She was a child of the North and yet, while winter was her season, autumn was not. Then again, technically, November was already winter but to her, it felt like autumn – cold, hopeless and lifeless.

She shuddered and wished that she had chosen the warmer instead of the prettier coat yet right now, it was too late to wish for things she did not possess. From the corner of her eye, she watched the leader, the one who had found her when she had been still with Lamia Scale and asked her to join his cause – a cause that was hers as well. His hair was silver even though he was so young, only two years or so older than her. Yet her own hair was pink and so she was not exactly in a position to judge someone's hair colour.

She had followed his request, the request to help him to bring Deliora down once for all. In the beginning, they had been all relatively optimistic – all but Reitei-sama who had had this strangely dejected expression in his eyes even when they had just departed. But now in November after half a year of searching, of making deals and empty promises, she was tired as well. It was not working. They may have obtained Deliora, the demon inside the ice, but to melt the ice was another problem.

A problem Reitei-sama worked so very hard on solving. A problem that had led them – just the two of them with the others staying back, guarding – into a small town where they were looking for a book. She had long stopped questioning the leader because his decisions were usually right and reasonable – partly because she was seventeen and _hopelessly_ in love.

She shook her head. Reitei-sama had no time for such foolish things, she knew. He had goals, goals she had to respect because they served her own selfish dreams as well. She wanted to see Deliora defeated, to see that demon crumbling into dust.

"Sherry," the calm voice shook her out of her thoughts and she sped up her pace a little bit to walk next to him again. Reitei-sama was not one to yell, not even when Yuuka and Tobi were doing stupid things which happened quite often. She wondered whether this was the reason why he was such a good listener.

"Yes, Reitei-sama?" she asked as she bit her lip.

"You are cold, aren't you?" he said but she knew that he are indeed stating a fact and not asking a question. "Why didn't you choose a warmer coat? We will depart for the North again soon. You have to be prepared better then."

It stung because she knew that she had just been scolded and even she could not see this as some sort of hidden care for her well-being. "I-I am sorry," she said.

He sighed deeply before he unbuttoned his own coat and flung it at her. "Take this, then," he said and when she did not look because she was too busy fumbling with the coat, a rare smile passed his face. Out of all his companions, she was the one he preferred having around when he had to leave the camp to run important errands because while she could be a little bit airheaded, she was also a decent mage – and if she was not lost in her thoughts, she was also rather intelligent and witty.

And she understood how he felt about Deliora. He had once caught her standing in front of the demon, silent and yet, he had felt her anger and her hatred for the demon. For some reason, her silence had been frightening. She usually managed to express her emotions so easily, this was actually something he envied her for because he could not.

"We will beat Deliora," he said, partly to reassure himself and partly to calm her, to fortify her belief in him. "We will beat Deliora and all will be over. Finally."

She nodded slowly. "Thank you for the coat," she said.

He smiled again because he finally understood why he liked to have her in his company. She was so genuine in her friendliness, in her affection for so many things and people which for some reason included him as well. When it would be all over, when Deliora was defeated, he would have no goal left in his life. He would have surpassed his teacher.

Afterwards, there was nothing left for him.

"What will you do when it's all over?" he asked calmly.

"Repent," she said softly. "I may have … abandoned some beliefs of mine before I joined."


End file.
